Apparatus for playing stringed instruments



Feb. 25, 1930. R. s. BLAIR I 53 APPARATUS FOR PLAYING STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed Oct. 8, 1923 1 INVENTOR} Patented Feb. 25, 1 93 6 TENT FFICE? ROBERT S. BLAIR, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT Application filed October 8, 1923. Serial No. 667,121.-

This invention relates to the art of and apparatus for playing stringed musical instruments with more particular reference to the fingering or stopping of the strings.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an effective and efficient art of the above nature which is readily applicable to the conditions of practical operation. Another object is to provide a device or appa- 0 rat-us for carrying on the above art in an effective manner. Another object is to provide such a device which is compact, unobtrusive and conveniently manipulated. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, all as will be illustratively herein described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of this invention,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a device in position upon the finger,

Figure 2 is an upward plan View of Figure 1 Figure 3 is a side view showing one method application of the device, and

Fi ure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing another method of application.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of certain features of this invention it may be here noted that in pla ing stringed musical instruments such as, fbr example, a violin, banjo or a guitar, the fingers of the lefthand are ordinarily employed to hold the strings down against the finger board or frets as the case may be to vary the pitch of the sound produced by the vibration of the strings. This procedure is known as finger ing or as stopping the strings. At times it may be desirable to hold down or stop more than one string at a time with the same fin 5O ger, while again it may be desired to stop only one string and avoid touching any of the others. The strings are positioned close together and difficulty is oftentimes encountered when it is attempted to stop only one string with a the finger tip and the consequent difficulty of pressing one string without touching those adjacent thereto. To provide means for overcoming such difficulties, in a way not to interfere with the skillful manipulation of the musical instrument, is one of the dominant aims of this invention.

eferring now to Figure 1 in the draw ing there is shown a member 10 which is preferably of some substantially solid yet yielding material such as, for example, hard rubber or the like. This member 10 is secured adja-' cent the end portion of the finger by any suitable means as for example by means of a light rubber finger covering 11 to which the member 10 is secured by cementing for example. The rubber finger covering 11 provides an effective means for maintaining the member 10 in the desired position upon the finger and is convenient and comfortable not interfering greatly with the movement of the fin} ger. As shown in Figure 1 the upper -side of the member 10 adj acent the finger is curved to substantially the contour of the underpor tion of the finger tip extendingnpwardly toward the finger nail and has a portion ex tending outwardly beyond the fingertip providing a surface 12. The portion of the mi ber 10 extending from the surface 12' beneath the underside of the finger provides smooth surface 13. The width of the member crosswise of the finger is preferably substantially as shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 3 there is shown diagrammati cally a section through the strings l4 and fin ger board of a musical instrument 15. As may be seen from this figure the surface 12 of the member 10 is convenientlyemployed to stop oiie string of the instrument without danger of touching the adjacent strings, the finger being held in a substantially vertical position relative to the finger board. The surface 12 is preferably made of a width greater than the distance between adjacentstrings and less than the distance between al 53' finger due to the largeness of ternate strings. Therefore by holding the finger substantially in the position shown in Figure 3, one string or two strings, as required, may be pressed against the finger board. When one string only is being stopped ample clearance is provided on either side to remove any danger of touching the ad- .jacent strings.

In Figure 4 the surface 13 of the member 10 is shown employed to hold the strings down. As is shown in this figure when the surface 13 is employed the finger is held in position substantially parallel with the finger board. By means of the surface 13 two, three, four and more strings may be stopped at the same time as the case requires and also the outer strings on either side alone may be stopped by engagement by this surface if desired. In the manipulation of the device the finger tip has simply to be swung through about to bring the desired surface of the member 10 into operative position and to interpose the desired portion thereof between the finger and the strings.

As various possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A finger attachment for pressing the strings of a musical instrument against the finger-board comprising a member adapted to be removably mounted on the end of the finger and having a part thereof shaped to provide a string-engaging surface portion closely adjacent the end of the finger and of less diameter than that of the finger and positioned and connected to transmit pressure from the finger to force a string against the finger-board free from engagement with the strings on either side, said part being formed of yielding material, said part being held against endwise movement relative to the remainder of said member.

2. A finger attachment for pressing the strings of a musical instrument against the finger-board comprising a member adapted to engage, embrace and grip the end of the finger and provided with a projecting part having two string-engaging surface portions one of which is of less area than the string-engaging end surface of the finger upon whi ch it is mounted and the other of which extends lengthwise of the finger at the under side to such distance as to bridge a plurality of strings, said part being formed of yielding material and each of said surface portions being. interposed between the string and the finger in position to transmit thrust from the latter.

3. A finger attachment for pressing the strings of a musical instrument against the finger-board comprising a member adapted to grip the end of a finger and provided with a part having two string-engaging surface portions of different areas the smaller of which is interposed between the end of the finger and the string to transmitlongitudinal thrust to the finger and the other of which extends lengthwise along the finger to a length to bridge a plurality of strings, each of said surface portions being formed to effect a non-slipping engagement with the string.

4. A finger attachment for pressing the strings of a musical instrument against the finger-hoard comprising an elastic covering adapted to encase the end of a finger and grip adjacent portions thereof, provided with a projecting part having a flattened surface portion extending opposite the end of the finger and positioned to transmit longitudinal thrust from the finger upon a string, said surface portion being less than the stringengaging surface of the finger.

5. A finger attachment for fingering a stringed musical instrument comprising, in combination, a member adapted for pressing the strings against the finger-board, adapted to be mounted upon the finger, and having a part extending from the finger in the line of longitudinal thrust of the finger.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 5th day of October, 1923.

ROBERT S. BLAIR. 

